


let's not do christmas

by canterofmysinnings



Series: Deutschland 83-89 [2]
Category: Deutschland (TV 2015), Deutschland 86, Deutschland 89
Genre: 'Parental' fluff, Accusations/arguments, Arguments, Chapter 10: - Freeform, Chapter 11: - Freeform, Chapter 12:, Chapter 1:, Chapter 2:, Chapter 3:, Chapter 4:, Chapter 5:, Chapter 6:, Chapter 7:, Chapter 8: - Freeform, Chapter 9:, Complicated Marriage, Cooking, Crying, Decorating, Defending each other, Drawing/Sketching, Eagerness, Emotional Repression, Exes M/M, Fluff, Foodie cliche, Heartbreak, Hugging, Implied M/F breakup, Insomnia, Intense swear words, Intrusive Thoughts, Jealousy, Kissing, Longing, Lost Opportunity, Love Notes, M/M, Medium Angst, Mocking, Morals/Ethics discussion, More decorating, Nausea mention/TW emetophobia, Nonverbal affection, Office Party, Overthinking, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pet Names, Pining, Playing with toys, Rage and anger, Rescued by the bf, Reunion, Robotron, Romantic Fluff, Shopping, Small couple argument, Small emotional breakdown, Snuggling, Solved anxiety, Swearing, TW intense homophobia, Twin cliche, Twin confusion, Unresolved Tension, Weather Symbolism, angst with happy ending, apologizing, cudding, grumpy old man, intense angst, reflecting, spacing out, work argument, work environment, work relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:33:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29184822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canterofmysinnings/pseuds/canterofmysinnings
Summary: The viewpoint or setting is technically after 08x03, the season finale. However, the snippets for each line are not chronologically after 08x03. Rather, the snippets take place different years from 86 to 89. Think of it like a video montage of their moments, except in fiction. This songfic is based on Not Christmas by Robbie Williams.
Relationships: Barbara Dietrich/Markus Fuchs (implied), Walter Schweppenstette/Fritz Hartmann, Walter Schweppenstette/Ingrid Rauch (ex)
Series: Deutschland 83-89 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054850





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> what's up guys, it's me, i'm back with another walter/fritz fanfiction  
> this time christmas themed. it was originally meant to be published the 25/11 2020. i wrote on it on and off during 25+ days but didn't make it due to life. therefore is the publication date edited, it took me in total an additional 2 months to get everything as i wanted it.  
> as usual, the hva sucks, i do absolutely not stan anything the hva stands for or where fritz/walter work in the deutschland canon, but yet i'm here for their relationship dynamic so i love writing their fanfic regardless.  
> this work has 13 chapters, each originally spanding 1 a4 page each, i'm so happy it's finally done and i'm happy with the result!!  
> hope you all enjoy!!

_What if I don't come, what if I die? What if I ruin Christmas night again?_

Prompt: Fritz is nervous to see Walter again after a year of no contact.

  1. Fritz felt his throat dry out. He stared at the gold and black-coloured door nervously, one that could open at any time. He already knew what was going to happen, of course – imminent disaster.



Walter had no reason to treat him kindly, not even spare him a glace. Yet, they were here again. His stomach knotted uncomfortably, and his shoulders tightened.

Heavy but sharp footsteps walked closer behind the closed door. Fritz tried to control his panicked breathing, but his deep breaths were all too visible behind his light blue shirt and brown jacket.

The door opened with a creek, slowly and achingly. There he was, _Walter_.

“Hello,” Walter said in a tone which was calculating, yet trembling with the undertone of uncertainty.

“We meet again, Schweppenstette,” Fritz replied. He took in the sight of his former colleague. His short and plump stature, his silver hair and his unfeeling blue eyes, eyes which he knew had seen too much, always analysing and scrutinising.

They were beautiful to him, these eyes, and the rest of Walter as well. He just didn’t know how to ever say it.

Walter suddenly laughed, shocking Fritz. “Ah, don’t stand there all stiff. Come in! I haven’t seen you for a… a year, is that right?”

“T-That should be right,” Fritz stammered. When Walter offered him his hand, he shook it with sweaty hands. He saw Walter notice it, but he brushed it off.

Walter sat down at the table across Fritz. “What are you doing now, then? It’s certainly different.’

Fritz sighed nervously. “I have a little firm… Robotron. I try to get some coworkers, but they come and go. I can’t seem to keep them.’

Walter smirked. “Robotron… sounds alright. But how come you can’t keep them? Should I give you some advice? What do you need?’

“Eh… I’m not sure yet. Most of all, I’m overwhelmed to see you again. I appreciate it.”

Walter leant back in his chair confidently. “It’s not too bad to see you again either, Fritz. I can’t believe it’s been a year?”

Fritz laughed awkwardly. “Of course, me neither. I don’t miss a lot of it, really. But I do miss you.”

Walter looked at Fritz as a sadness darkened his eyes. “Me too, I’m sad we parted. However, I have no idea what to do to change that…”


	2. Chapter 2

_Know that shit's been on your mind, babe, every time Santa comes_

_I guess we'll all find out tomorrow_

Prompt: Walter has a difficult time enjoying Christmas. Fritz tries to teach him how.

  1. “Argh! I don’t want to do this Christmas ordeal _again,_ ” Walter complained, “it bothers me to no end, Fritz.”



Fritz laughed. “Walter, it’s not that bad. Loosen up a little! It’s just this me and you this December, and we even have 24 days to go! That is plenty of time to make the perfect Christmas.”

“What if I don’t want to? It always makes me think of _that_.” Walter looked at Fritz first with rage, then with sorrow. He reached out for Fritz’ hand, and he took it.

Fritz pulled Walter close. “Walter. I’m sorry, I know. I know it hurts, but it’s a year ago, alright? Ingrid can’t keep thinking about it, can she? What you did wasn’t even _that_ bad, babe. Trust me.”

Walter shook his head. “It feels bad for me, I can’t let it go.” He nuzzled his head into Fritz’ dark red woollen sweater and closed his eyes.

Fritz put an arm around Walter’s neck and kissed him lightly on the forehead. “You sometimes think too much, Waltie,” He ran his hand through Walter’s silver hair and smiled, “that isn’t good for you. Come, let’s put some baubles on our Christmas tree.”

“Ah, what was I thinking?” Fritz knew that Walter had snapped out of his emotional state when he grinned widely. “I don’t know what happened, sorry. Where are the baubles again?”

“Ah, Walter, true to form!” Fritz let Walter go and walked to the chair with Christmas decorations. “We’ve got gold baubles, silver ones, green, yellow, dark blue-“

“Okay, let’s put the silver and gold ones on first, then the coloured ones, if any.” Walter looked calculatingly at the three. “Do we have a star for the tree as well?”

“I don’t know, do we? I don’t remember.” Fritz scratched his strawberry blonde beard. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

Walter eagerly searched through the box of decorations. “Aha,” He said triumphantly, “White candles for the tree. If I take the lower part, you take the higher one.” He suggested.

“I mean… Sure, sounds like a good idea. We’ll take the baubles after, right? What have we got?” Fritz bowed down and took out multiple beige cardboard boxes. “White, gold, silver, pink, blue, light blue, green, hmmm…”

Walter looked at him in amusement. “Babe, stop it! They’re just baubles. We’re going to have the same ones every year, anyway.”


	3. Chapter 3

_It's all that I am, all that I'm not, not gonna give everything I've got_

Prompt: Fritz finds out that Walter has remarried, and he cries himself to sleep that day.

_He didn’t just do that._ Oh, no, he didn’t. _It was all a mistake._

  1. Fritz sighed heavily and rubbed his blood-shot, irritated eyes. He looked at the alarm clock at the bedstand. So far, he’d been crying for three hours past his bedtime, and it was now 1:30 am.



Distorted memories of Walter flooded his brain. Not only how he told it yesterday, no. The small things they had done together over their shared career. _Was it all an illusion? Did he not love him back?_

Fritz licked his lips and tasted the salt from his tears. Bitterly, he turned around in his cold bed and grabbed a book. He pressed it to his chest in an attempt to relieve the pain. At least, he was holding _something._

The worst thing, Fritz told himself in a daze of pain, was that the woman Walter had married was no stranger to him. He knew her – and he knew that she was a trained spy.

_Bloody hell!_ Fritz crouched together as a wave of nausea bubbled from his stomach up to his throat. Why her? _He_ could offer Walter so much more, and after all, they were passionate for the same cause. She, on the other hand…

New tears emerged in Fritz’ already strained tear canals. Fritz didn’t even bother to wipe them away. He let them sting and burn behind his eyelashes as they blurred his vision in the dark.

_I never thought he had the nerve to even invite me. That is shameless,_ Fritz thought and broke into a sob. _How could he? After all those years… Maybe I should quit it all._

Fritz blinked. He pressed against the book’s cover forcefully, then held his breath. _If I quit, maybe that would change his mind._

It made sense in his head for a while, but then Fritz remembered. _Of course not. If I quit, it would cost me my life._ He clenched his fists desperately. More tears trickled down his face and disappeared into his pillow.

He clenched the duvet and kicked the book off the bed. Deep and pulsing pain accompanied the unwelcome thoughts in his head.

Fritz thought of him and Walter over the last three years. Their successes, small moments as well as their setbacks and frustrations. How they always protected and looked out for each other. He thought of Walter’s personality and how it blended with his better than any colleague could ever dream of.

He thought about how Walter was made for him. Somewhere down the road, he was once convinced Walter felt the same. But now, everything was over. He would never find out the truth, - the truth was not his to have.


	4. Chapter 4

_Who's gonna give it all to you? You're probably just returning_

_You'll still be disappointed_

Prompt: Walter is on the bus. He sees Fritz in a shop outside but decides to pass the opportunity to meet him again.

  1. Walter pressed his hat over his eyes in dissatisfaction and held his newspaper closer. _What a horrendous meeting._



He disliked the meeting; his presentation failed and every point he made was dismissed. He had hoped that he could use this opportunity to make a bit of extra money, since his new house in the West was bigger, as well as his wife… _his wife._

Walter grimaced. He still struggled with the concept of marriage and the so-called sharing your everyday life with another person. Going from a full-time career to fragile domestic bliss was insufferable at best to him – but of course, he couldn’t say.

He sighed and opened the newspaper. A section of it kept bothering him because it fell down in the wrong angle. He straightened it, but it kept falling down. He gritted his teeth and raged silently.

The afternoon sky was bleak, filled with heavy, grey clouds. Walter saw lots of people out on the street. _Pathetic._ He grunted and resumed to read the newspaper. However, a passenger across him got up and by his overcoat’s motion, the newspaper flew to the floor.

Walter was just about to bow down and get his newspaper when the bus stopped near a shop. He didn’t mean to look out of the window and quite frankly, he wasn’t in the mood at all – but what he saw shocked him.

Fritz was there on the other side of the glass, and close, too. Walter’s heart skipped a heart. He didn’t discover Walter at all despite how close they were. Fritz was deeply engrossed in conversation with another suit clad man, suitcases in hand. Walter looked at their silent exchange. His sense of time stopped and crashed into conflicting, tearing emotions.

He took a deep breath and stopped staring when the bus started again. Looking at his watch, Walter realised that what was around twenty seconds felt like years to him.

_I really missed Fritz._ Walter wanted to bang his head against the glass in frustration. Yet, the seed of an irrational thought entered his head.

_The next stop is a few streets down. Should I try to pursue him and explain everything?_

Walter imagined the scene in his head and laughed dismissively. He shook his head at his own foolishness. _That was a terrible idea._

After all, what would it change? Walter was still his old self, as far as he was aware. It would never work if he met Fritz again and attempted to make up – so he shouldn’t try.


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm not queueing up to take the abuse_

_I know it seems so cold, but I finally refuse_

Prompt: Fritz gets into a heated argument with the homophobic Comrade Dietrich.

  1. “I’ve said it before – I’ll say it again. There is definitely no gay people in the DDR. Not one.” Barbara self-confidently grinned. Her dark blonde curls waved from side to side as she tilted her head in amusement.



“Of course not, comrade Dietrich. That observation is very true.” Markus contently nodded and smiled at her with a glass in his hand.

They were at an office party. What for, Fritz had long forgotten. Fritz had been observing them at a distance, silently judging and weighing every word. Yet, this particular comment bothered Fritz. He felt his face flush with anger and slowly approached them.

“Pardon, you two. But the comment I just overheard – a plain untruth. Please stick to the facts and don’t make a theory about something you know nothing about.” He calmly, but firmly argued.

Barbara looked at him puzzlingly and swirled the drink in her hand. “That really stuck a cord with you, Fritz,” she smiled. Her sarcasm dripped off her words like poison off a knife’s blade. “How so?” She enquired and sipped her drink.

Fritz crossed his arms. “Well, gay people have always existed. Why shouldn’t they be in the DDR? It’s not like they advertise it, though.” He replied irritably.

“Do you really think that, Hartmann?” Barbara laughed mockingly. Her blue earrings danced and tangled into her hair. She almost dropped her drink, had Markus not caught it for her. She noticed and swiftly took it again after she had collected herself. “No, do you really think that?” Barbara pressed her lips together and her eyes narrowed.

Fritz raised his voice, “Yes, do you have a problem with that? It’s not like it affects you.” He clenched his jaw and stared at her with burning disgust.

Barbara looked at Markus, seemingly for comfort, and for a brief moment, Fritz felt her insecurity. He took her drink but didn’t react to the situation. He nodded politely and walked away.

“Why of course, I have a problem with that. Gay people are _disgusting_ – immoral and like a pest. I’m glad we don’t have them around here,” she arrogantly said, now intruding Fritz’ space in a threatening manner.

Fritz breathed heavily through his nose and clasped his fists. _That haughty bitch! I could h-_

He felt a strong arm on his shoulder, pulling him in the opposite direction. “W-What?” He stuttered. Little by little, Walter appeared behind him. “Time to calm down, Hartmann. Come, we’ll go elsewhere,” he explained, then turned to Dietrich, “excuse us, Dietrich.”


	6. Chapter 6

_What the hell are you so angry for? Let's not do Christmas anymore_

Prompt: Walter and Fritz get into an argument about the appropriate amount of Christmas decorations.

  1. “Alright. So… that bauble goes there, and this one goes here…” Fritz scratched his head with his free hand. The other hand was full of baubles and other decorations.



“Nuh-uh,” Walter cut in, “That’s too much. It should be over here instead, it fits better.”

“Really? You’re stretching it, Walter. We haven’t even started with the glitter yet.” He looked at him, then continued putting baubles high up on the tree.

“I’m not stretching it. These elf decorations… I can barely look at them!” Walter complained, then sighed.

“Ah, don’t,” Fritz dismissed. “We can just hang them elsewhere if you want. In the window, maybe?” He then suggested warmly.

“That’s even worse!” Walter groaned. “I feel so uncomfortable in this mess. Take it all away, I dread it. Yes, this too.”

“Love… come on. Let me have this one. Don’t you remember what year it is?” Fritz softly said. He carefully laid the baubles down one by one in the cardboard box.

Walter looked down to the floor and fell silent. Fritz quietly looked at him. His heart dropped slightly when he figured that he had upset him.

“I’m sorry. Did I upset you? I didn’t mean to…” He inched nearer. Walter reluctantly stretched out his hand. Fritz took it and gently embraced him.

Fritz could tell that apart from his familiar perfume, Walter smelled of cinnamon, liquorice and clementines. There was a slight touch of cigarette ash, as well. A smell which was once much more prominent.

“Have you been eating clementines, love?” Fritz smiled lovingly at Walter. He put his hands around his neck in the dim light. Walter blushed a little, but then smiled cockily.

“You know I couldn’t resist. I’ve never tasted something as delicious as this-“

Fritz giggled and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t blame you. We’ve lived many years with the bare minimum, now we deserve this.”

Walter straightened his back and edged closer to Fritz comfortably. “Mm-hmm.” He wrapped his arms around Fritz and warmed his face against his chest.

“How many years has it been since we met?” He mumbled. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”

Fritz chuckled softly. “It’s been six or seven years.”

“Oh,” Walter blushed and looked up. “I love you.” Fritz squeezed Walter lovingly. “I love you, too.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Too many judgements, too many times_

_Too many "I'll apologise"_

Prompt: Fritz leaves small gifts and notes around Walter’s house as a way of saying sorry for previous arguments and tension.

  1. Walter rolled his eyes. _What a waste of time! Another money-illiterate, capitalistic idiot._



He slammed the mahogany drawer shut and leaned back into his leather armchair. He breathed deeply to calm himself, then bowed down to open another drawer beneath the first one.

Strawberries with chocolate sauce. _Of course._ Walter’s mood improved a little bit as he screwed the cap open. Carefully, he lifted the strawberries out of the cardboard container. He removed the green top on a strawberry and started to eat.

He looked at the clock in the opposite part of his office and sighed. There were still two hours to go before the workday was over. Walter looked at the bookcases and shelves hesitantly, searching for the right folders. Eventually, he opened a third drawer and took out multiple documents and folders.

Walter spread the documents across the desk. A little note in fine hand-writing stood out to him. He picked it up with disinterest and read it with the chocolate sauce bottle in the other hand. What he saw almost made him spill.

_Sorry we had that argument last night. I didn’t mean it._

His eyes widened. He placed the bottle back down on the table with shaking hands. _It couldn’t be Fritz, could it? That bastard!_

Walter held the note for a little longer before he tore it in pieces. He shook his head resolutely and laughed to himself. Completely distracted, he stood up and searched for a different material.

_Hmm… Budgets. Budgets._ He flicked his fingers through the small cards in its own separate section absentmindedly. However he wished to shrug the note off his mind, he couldn’t. He opened the big drawer beneath the smaller ones. His stomach tightened when he saw a piece of grey paper sticking out.

He exhaled irritably and roughly opened it. The grey paper fell to the bottom of the drawer. Walter looked at the paper defiantly. _Who’d been messing with his office?_

As expected, the note was from Fritz as well. _I’m sorry. I really love you. -Fritz_

Heat rose to Walter’s face, and he exhaled loudly. He had lost all sense for whether he was angry or embarrassed. He tore up the note, walked to his desk, and picked up the telephone.


	8. Chapter 8

_You know they've all come back to haunt you_

_Just like the ghost of Christmas I'll never come to pass_

Prompt: During a mission in the West, Walter realizes that he loves Fritz.

  1. Walter recited procedures and important things to remember inside of his head as he sat down by the desk in his hotel room.



He threw his cigarette box in a corner. He took out his brown notebook together with his wallet. Looking at them briefly, he slid the wallet aside and opened the notebook.

The first few pages were blank. On the third page, Fritz had scribbled down notes and the instructions in his characteristic handwriting; deep-pressured, with sharp angles.

Walter tried to hold back a smile but couldn’t. He then laid the notebook down on the desk neatly ensuring everything was straight. From one of his jacket’s inner pockets, he grabbed a black pen with dark blue matte metal parts.

He licked his lips and stared blankly at the wall. He then put the pen to the notebook paper and started doodling.

Small scribbles grew bigger and more confident of nature as Walter slowly recalled his half-forgotten talent. He hadn’t practiced in a long time. After all, he’d rather _not_ be mistaken for an _artist_.

The bottom of a pair of glasses appeared. Walter lightened his pen strokes. He doodled upwards in a thin line. _No._ He changed his mind and drew downwards instead, an even thinner line. Before long, half of a face appeared. A thin and square-set face.

Walter sighed deeply, drifting off in thought. He accidentally pressed too hard and the ink stained the paper. He wanted to fix it, instead the ink got everywhere on his fingertips.

_Fuck! Are you kidding me?_

Walter swore, but continued upwards. He inhaled deeply and tried to break the line up in several small ones. Finally, he had a face right. _His face._ Not quite done, but it was there.

He felt tears pressing on in the corner of his eyes. He drew the nose quietly. With two secure strokes, he drew the man’s eyes as well. The eyebrows were as easy as that.

However, after that, he couldn’t continue. Agitated, Walter threw the notebook across the room. His eyes filled with tears and he hid his head in his hands.

He could no longer run from it: _He loved Fritz._

_What the hell could he do about it?_ It wasn’t appropriate at all. It wasn’t supposed to happen, yet here he was. This wasn’t an issue he could solve with logical thinking or budget planning. He couldn’t seek help from Marcus or anyone else from work.

Walter was on his own, cold, stuck and alone. He could _never_ tell Fritz the truth.


	9. Chapter 9

_What if I'm right, what if you're wrong?_

_You knew you'd end up in a song of mine_

Prompt: Fritz is out with Walter when Walter’s twin emerges.

  1. Fritz was out with Walter; they were going out to do grocery shopping. Walter carried the bags steadily next to him.



“So… fresh tomatoes, rice and…” Fritz recited the list inside of his head. He furrowed his eyebrows since he couldn’t remember everything.

Walter smiled warmly, but subtly at him. “Pineapple slices, bread and dish soap.”

“Ah,” Fritz softly responded. “I’m a bit stressed today, sorry,” He grimaced and looked down ashamedly.

“It’s going to be alright, my dear.” Walter stroked his hand against Fritz’ and Fritz briefly intwined his hand in Walter’s. Fritz blushed and felt warmth in his stomach. They then went into the grocery store.

**_Later_ **

Fritz had somehow lost track of where Walter was. He had looked away for a short while and Walter had gone off somewhere in another part of the store. He looked from left to right frantically, growing increasingly nervous. “Walter?” He weakly called out in hopes he’d hear him. He got no response. However, as he looked over the shelves into another section, he spotted him.

Perhaps a bit too excitedly, he walked over to him with brisk steps. He stopped near him, a bit short of breath, and looked intently at him. He expected Walter to look back at him with the same intensity, but it never happened. Walter still looked at a shelf of fruit, silently and as if he was calculating something.

“Darling,” Fritz timidly tapped Walter on the shoulder. After all, this wasn’t the first time he knew Walter to get absorbed in things. Likely, nothing was wrong, just Walter being Walter, he thought.

“Can you please pay? Here’s my wallet. You know I don’t really like these situations. We could go home after and- “

“What?!” A man who looked just like Walter, loudly exclaimed his discomfort, and stepped multiple big steps away from Fritz. “Get off of me, creep!”

“What do you mean?” Fritz cried out. His vision blurred and he had to lean himself against a wall to regain his balance. “W-Walter… no…”

Heavy and rushed steps came nearer. Fritz barely believed his eyes when he saw his lover running towards him. Walter sighed and looked at him apologetically. “My love, I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I have a twin, Sebastian. I had no idea, and yes, I’ll pay for you.”


	10. Chapter 10

_But the melody's disjointed_

_The words are cobbled together just like me and you_

Prompt: Walter and Fritz spend some quality time with Walter’s grandchild, Max.

  1. “Little Max, hi- oh, dear.” Fritz laughed heartily. Max grabbed the toy out of his hand and looked at it stubbornly. “It’s mine!” He protested. Fritz smiled awkwardly and retreated a bit.



Walter smirked and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. “He is darling, isn’t he?” He said to Fritz, then dropped some other toys aside into a cardboard box.

“Max, tell Fritz what you did yesterday. He would like to know.” Walter softly encouraged his grandson. When Max looked curiously at Fritz, he had to loosen his tie slightly. He felt a happy lump in his throat and a warm, proud sensation in his stomach.

Max stretched backwards with a cautious smile. “I… I launched a rocket ship and controlled it!” He burst out and giggled.

“You got it!” Walter put a hand on Max’ shoulder supportively, “And what more?”

“I climbed a tree…” His eyes darted from place to place, “I fell.” Max grimaced.

Fritz looked at the big beige plaster on Max’ knee. “Did it hurt?” He asked, partly to Max and party to Walter.

Walter shook his head seeing as Max was distracted again with a pack of crayons and didn’t reply. “He will be fine, love.”

His eyes lingered by Fritz before he got up. “Max, do you want pancakes?” He called out. Max promptly dropped what he was holding and clumsily got up himself.

“Yes!” Max exclaimed. “Pancakes!”

As Walter took Max’ small hand in his, he turned around and gestured to Fritz.

“Let’s to the kitchen so we can make some delicious pancakes.”

Fritz smiled and got up. Walking to the kitchen, he almost stumbled over a wooden duck on wheels. **_Later_**

“Careful. Yes, pour it that way.” Walter guided Max’ hand steadily. Making sure that his small arm was way above the stove’s heat, he poured the thin pancake dough into the pan from a distance.

Fritz looked on adoringly, holding the plate with the steaming, fresh pancakes. “Max, you should be a cook! You’re a natural!”

Max looked briefly at Fritz and shyly smiled. Fritz smiled back and put an arm around Walter’s life.


	11. Chapter 11

_I don't like that, I don't like that_

_Hey, baby, don't like that thing for me_

_You do you and I'll do me_

Prompt: Fritz suggests something at work which is unpopular. Walter defends him.

  1. “I propose that we cancel Operation Indigo.” Fritz said. He tried to suppress his voice from shaking and held onto a pen for comfort. His heart pounded in his chest.



“Well- I’m not happy to hear that.” Markus said slowly. “You know how much his has cost us, right?” His voice got progressively louder. “And you’re proposing to throw it all away now, is that what you’re saying?” He got up and watched Fritz unsympathetically.

Fritz gulped. “I find that the operation has grown morally inexcusable, Comrade Fuchs. That’s why I propose that we stop it.”

“What a disgrace! Of course, we can’t stop this important operation,” Comrade Dietrich protested and angrily pushed the chair behind her aside. “What you’re claiming is completely untrue.”

“I agree!” Another one of Fritz’ co-workers, Comrade Kuntz raised his arm but didn’t stand up. Fritz pressed his lips together and looked around the room. He didn’t find much support, however, because those who were not angry acted apathetically and cold.

Walter, who had previously stared at his nails and ignored the situation, stood up.

“Actually, I agree with Comrade Hartmann,” He calmly and confidently said. Operation Indigo is morally abhorrent and should be stopped as soon as possible.”

“You can’t be serious, Comrade Schweppenstette. What is this now?” Markus loudly complained. “Operation Indigo has never been morally inexcusable, as Comrade Hartmann unfortunately claims.”

“That’s not true. We absolutely cannot be involved in such matters. Comrade Hartmann is completely right and I would take it up if he hadn’t done so himself.”

Markus furrowed his eyebrows. “Who’s to know? Tell me, who’s to know? It’s harmless. It will never get out whatsoever.” He insisted, his voice getting progressively louder and angrier.

“Listen,” Walter kept the same steady yet sharp tone, “if we can’t cancel it, why don’t we make the operation smaller instead?”

“It’s absolutely out of the question.” Markus fumed. “I don’t know where you get all of these ridiculous ideas from. It has got to stop. The meeting is over!”

Fritz, as he shuffled to collect his things, accidentally saw Walter looking at him from across the room. He held the eye contact reluctantly before he left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

_What the hell are you so angry for?_

_Let's not do Christmas anymore_

Prompt: Walter spends his first Christmas with Fritz instead of his ex-wife and they bake Christmas cookies.

  1. “So… Ingrid.” Walter sighed. His face went blank as he looked out of the window. It was dark blue outside, late in the afternoon, the snow was barely visible.



“Ingrid,” Fritz said slowly, tasting the word. “You alright?” He put the handkerchief aside and watched Walter carefully.

Walter shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just… it’s our first Christmas together, and Ingrid…” He moved so he faced Fritz, but still couldn’t bring himself to look Fritz in the eyes.

Fritz saw Walter looking at the floor and took his hands in his. “It’s alright, Walter. I understand. You don’t have to be ashamed of that. It happens.” He held his hands tenderly and squeezed them.

“T-Thank you.” Walter stammered and got teary-eyed. “It’s a bit difficult for me to deal with it. I’m not- I’ve bottled something up. I was never an emotional guy. Never before you, anyway.”

“I love you.” Fritz stroked Walter’s cheek. “It’s okay.”

“I love you too,” Walter replied faintly. He stepped closer to Fritz and buried his face in Fritz’ big white apron. Fritz embraced him and nuzzled his hair.

“Do you feel better now, love?” Fritz asked softly and kissed him just above the nose.

Walter closed his eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”

“You do know that I would do anything for you, right?” Fritz lowered his voice and caressed the greying hair just behind Walter’s left ear with his thumb.

“Yes.” Walter breathlessly said. “You know the same goes for you.” He slowly opened his steel grey eyes and looked into Fritz’ attentive cinnamon brown ones.

“Kiss me.” Walter muttered impatiently. His insecurity faded away when Fritz cupped his face with both of his hands.

Fritz smiled mischievously. “We have cookies in the oven we need to take out.”

“Kiss me,” Walter repeated, insistently dragging it out. Fritz snickered.

“I know you so well, darling.”

Fritz held Walter’s face and kissed him. He made it an affectionate, yet short kiss.

Walter gasped in surprise. They both collapsed into laughter. “Is that what you call a proper kiss, you bastard?” Walter howled of laughter. “I will show you! I will show you!”


End file.
